Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated the new Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu to the nation to replace the over 110 year old bridge made during British rule.
The 2.07 km new bridge is touted as the country’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge which will handle more traffic.
The Bridge, connecting Rameswaram with mainland India, is dedicated to the nation coinciding with Ram Navami.
The original Pamban Bridge was built in 1914 by the British.
The Centre had sanctioned construction of the new bridge in 2019.
The new Pamban Bridge is designed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a public sector unit under the ministry of railways.The 72.5-meter navigational span can be raised up to 17 meters so as to allow larger ships to pass through.
There are two railway tracks unlike the old one which had a single track.
The British had in 1876 envisaged linking India and Sri Lanka through the Adam’s Bridge which did not take off due to its high costs. A railway line from Madurai to Dhanushkodi via Rameswaram, and a steamer service from Dhanushkodi to Sri Lanka was conceived in 1906.
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